The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia (馬來西亞外交部), also known as Wisma Putra (威士馬布特拉) after the complex in Putrajaya from which it operates, is the Malaysian government ministry responsible for the formulation, planning, and implementation of Malaysia’s foreign policy, and for managing bilateral, regional, and multilateral relations with foreign countries and international organizations. Its origins date to 1956, a year before Malaysian independence, when a pioneer batch of eleven career diplomats was sent to the United Kingdom and Australia for training. The ministry was initially established as the Ministry of External Affairs before being renamed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1966. It has operated from its current premises at No. 1, Jalan Wisma Putra, Precinct 2, Putrajaya since 17 September 2001. The ministry oversees a global network of over 110 diplomatic missions, including the Consulate General of Malaysia in Guangzhou.